Rafter support



y 5, 1965 P. N. NELSON 3,184,800

RAFTER SUPPORT Filed 001;. 23, 1961 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

BY MAZW May 25, 1965 P. N. NELSON 3,184,800

RAFTER SUPPORT Filed Oct. 23, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 iNVENTOR. JDEAM/L 44fl Ezsa/v United States Patent 3,184,800 RAFTER SUPPORT Permil N.Nelson, Galesburg, 111., assignor to Lynn H. Ewing, doing business asBlackhawk Company, Rock Island, Ill.

Filed Oct. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 146,999 1 Claim. (Cl. 201) My inventionrelates to a new and useful improvement in a rafter support and moreparticularly to a metallic support that is utilized for connectingwooden rafters together in proper relation with respect to each otherand to the longitudinally extending roof ridge poles and base platemembers.

A principal object of my invention is in the provision in a raftersupport of this character of an arrangement of parts which when utilizedfor the purpose contemplated will impart greater strength to raftersconnected to and supported thereby.

The principal object of my invention is in the provision in a raftersupport of this character of an arrangement of parts which when utilizedfor the purpose contemplated will impart greater strength to raftersconnected to and supported thereby.

Another object of my invention is in the provision in a rafter supportwhich eliminates the necessity of notching the lower ends of each rafteras it is installed. The rafter support materially adds to the structuralstrength and stabilization of each rafter connected to the base plateand ridge pole of a roof skeleton.

A further object of my invention is in the provision in a rafter supportof this character of a configuration that provides a universal typesupport that may be utilized to support and connect the rafters togetheror to a base plate, or to a ridge pole.

Yet another object of my invention is in the provision in a raftersupport of this character that is easy to use and install, adds to thestructual strength of the rafter, increases the efiiciency ofinstallation of rafters and is economical in manufacture.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of partsto be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of rafters supported andconnected together through the use of my invention.

FIGS. 2 and 2A are perspective views, from opposite sides, of my raftersupport as it is used to connect the rafter ends together, or to a ridgepole.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of my improved rafter support showing it inits preferred form for connecting the rafter to a base plate.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a modified form of rafter support.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of a rafter support forconnecting rafters to a ridge pole.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of rafter support forconnecting the rafter to a base plate.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of a rafter support forconnecting the same to a ridge pole.

This invention relates to a rafter erection support which is utilized toconnect rafters together or to a ridge pole, or to a base plate member.In roof constructions, a skeleton is formed comprising a plurality ofrafters that define the pitch of the roof and upon which the roof itselfis installed.

The present system of constructing these rafters is to attach the sametogether or to a ridge pole by means ice of toe nailing. The under sideof each rafter adjacent one end is notched to provide a seat which ispositioned upon longitudinally extending base plate members.

The present invention removes the necessity of notching the rafters andprovides a more suitable and secured method of connecting the rafterstogether or to a ridge pole.

In FIG. 1, I disclosed oppositely disposed inclined rafters 10.Corresponding opposite ends of the rafters 10 and 11 are obliquely cutso as to sit in facial abutment upon opposite side surfaces of a ridgepole 12. Mounted upon the rafter 11 is a rafter support 13. This raftersupport 13 as viewed in FIG. 2 comprises a U- shaped body portionproviding a medial plate 14 having opposite side flanges 15 and 16extending from corresponding oppositely disposed longitudinal edges.

A substantially flat tongue 17 laterally extends from one end of themedial plate 14. This tongue 17 is of a length greater than that of themedial plate 14 so that a portion 18 of the tongue 17 may be bent so asto lie in facial abutment upon the upper edge of the ridge pole 12,while the remaining portion 19 of the tongue 17 extends beyond the ridgepole 12 and is caused to lie in facial abutment with the top edgesurface of the rafter 10.

The side flanges 15 and 16 as well as the portions 18 and 19 of thetongue 17 are provided with suitable nail receiving openings 20'. By theuse of nails or the like the rafter support may be connected tooppositely disposed rafters 10 and 11 and ridge pole 12 as shown in FIG.1.

Referring to FIG. 3 I show the rafter support 13 in a condition wherebyit is utilized to connect the underside portions of the rafters 10 and11 to longitudinally extending base plate members 21.

In connecting the rafters 10 and 11 to the base plate 21, the raftersupport is placed upon the rafter with the flanges 15 and 16 embracingopposite sides thereof. The medial plate 14 lies in facial contact withthe underedge surface of the rafter. The tongue 17 has been formed so asto lie upon the open exposed surface of the base plate member. In actualerection of the rafters the rafter supports 13 are first connected tothe base plate members 21 by having the tongue 17 thereof nailedthereto. The rafter is then placed between the side flanges 15 and 16with the edge surface of the rafter sitting upon the medial plate 14.That portion of the support 13 is then connected by means of nails tothe rafter itself.

Referring to FIG. 4, I show a fragmentary side elevational view of themodified form of rafter support. Each of the rafters 10 and 11 of FIG. 4carry adjacent their cut end a rafter support 22. This rafter support 22comprises a medial plate 23 provided along the opposite longitudinaledges with corresponding side flanges 24 and 25. Extending angularlyfrom one end of the medial plate 23 is an extension 26. This extensionis provided at one edge with a depending tongue 27 of a width less thanthe width of the extension 26 and medial plate 23. Formed in the medialplate 23 adjacent the end that angularly carries the extension 26 is arectangular opening 28 of a size corresponding to the size of thedepending tongue 27. p

The rafter support 22 is connected to the cut ends of the rafters 10 and11 as shown in FIG. 4. The medial plate 23 lies upon the exposed edgesof the rafters 10 and 11 and the side flanges 24 and 25 embrace the opposite sides of each rafter. The support 22 that is carried by therafter 10 has the extension 26 thereof lying upon the top edge 29 of theridge pole 30. The depending tongue 27 is positioned between the cut endof the rafter 11 and its corresponding side surface of the ridge pole30. The depending tongue 27 is positioned between the cut end of therafter 11 and its corresponding side surface of the ridge pole 36. Therafter support 22 that iscarried by the rafter 11 has its medial plate23 and side flanges 24 and 25 positioned adjacent the cutend of suchrafter. The extension 26, however, lies upon the upper surface of theextension plate 26 of the support 23 carried by the rafter 10.

The tongue 27. of the support 22 of rafter 11 extends I through theopening 28 formed in the medial plate 23 of the support 22 carried bythe rafter 10. This tongue 27 extends between the cut end of the rafter10 and its corresponding side face of the ridge pole 30. Thus thesupports 22 that are carried by the rafters 10' and 11 interlock insupporting relation with respect to each other and the ridge pole 30.

FIG. 6 shows a modified rafter support that may be used to connect therafters 10 and 11 to the base plate members 31 of FIG. 4. This raftersupport of FIG. 6 comprises a U-shaped body 32 having a medial plate 33provided along opposite longitudinal edges with side flanges 34 and 35.The medial plate 33 is provided with a substantially flat extension 36;In employing the rafter support of FIG. 6, the extension 36 is connectedto the base plate member 31 with the U-shaped body portion 32 positionedso as to receive between the side flanges 34 and 35 thereof the rafterto be supported thereby.

In FIG. 7, I show a further modification of the rafter support utilizedfor connecting the cut end of the rafters to a ridge pole or the like.This rafter support 37 includes a substantially rectangularly shapedmedial plate 38. Extending from opposite longitudinal edges 40 and 41thereof are correspondingly formed U-shaped rafter connecting bodies 42and 43. Each of the rafter connecting bodies 42 and 43 are provided withopposite side flanges 44 and 43, respectively. In utilizing the support37 in FIG. 7, the medial plate 38 isconnected to the top edge of theridge pole by means of a nail driven through an opening 46 formedtherein. Eachof the rafter connecting bodies 42 and 43 embrace oppositecorresponding cut ends of the rafters to be supported thereby. The sideflanges 44 and 45 of each of the bodies 42 and 43 are connected to theside faces of such rafters.

The rafter supports as hereinbefore described not only make the erectionof rafters simpler and easier but is quicker and less complicated thanthe present method.-

The rafter supports remove the necessity of notching the rafters forconnection to the base plate members. It provides a more satisfactoryconnection between the cut ends of the rafter than heretofore achievedthrough the toe nailing of same.

The rafter supports of this invention give greater strength andstabilization to rafters and roof constructions.

4 While I have illustrated and described the preferre form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into effect,v

this is capable of variation and modification without departing from thespirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wishto be limitedto theprecise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself ofsuch variations and modifications as. come within the scope of theappended claim. 7

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

. A pair of rafter erection and supporting brackets for connecting .apair of roof rafters to opposite .sides of a ridge pole, va ridge poleand first and second rafters angularly disposed with respectto saidridge pole, first and second brackets each comprising,

(a) a metallic body having a medial plate portion providing alongopposite longitudinal edges spaced apart parallelly extending lateralflanges,

(b) an extension member extending from one end of said medial plateportion of said body and angularly disposed with respect thereto,

(0) an insert tongue of a width less than the width of said extensionmember carried by and depending from the free end of said extensionmember,

(d) said medial plate portion of said body having formed thereinadjacent said one end of said body an opening: of a size equal to thewidth ofsaid-insert tongue,

(e) said lateral flanges of .said body of. said first bracket embracingtherebetween said first rafter and theflanges of said second bracketembracing therebetween said second rafter, with the extension member ofsaid first bracket being in overlying abutment with theupper;1ongitudinal edge of said ridge pole with its insert tongueinserted between said ridge pole and said second rafte'ryand with theextension member of said second bracket :being in overlying abutmentwith the extension member of said first. bracket with its insert tongueinserted into the opening in said first bracket. and between said ridgepole andsaid first rafter, and

(f) meansfor connecting said flanges and said ex.-

tension member to their respective roof rafters and to said ridge pole.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERTA. HILL,Examiner.

1. A PAIR OF RAFTER ERECTION AND SUPPORTING BRACKETS FOR CONNECTING APAIR OF ROOF RAFTERS TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF A RIGID POLE, A RIGID POLE ANDFIRST AND SECOND RAFTERS ANGULARLY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO SAID RIDGEPOLE, FIRST AND SECOND BRACKETS EACH COMPRISING, (A) A METALLIC BODYHAVING A METALLIC PLATE PORTION PROVIDING ALONG OPPOSITE LONGITUDINALEDGES SPACED APART PARALLELLY EXTENDING LATERAL FLANGES, (B) ANEXTENSION MEMBER EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF SAID MEDIAL PLATE PORTION OFSAID BODY AND ANGULARLY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT THERETO, (C) AN INSERTTONGUE OF A WIDTH LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID EXTENSION MEMBER CARRIEDBY AND DEPENDING FROM THE FREE END OF SAID EXTENSION MEMBER, (D) SAIDMEDIAL PLATE PORTION OF SAID BODY HAVING FORMED THEREIN ADJACENT SAIDONE END OF SAID BODY AND OPENING OF A SIZE EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF SAIDINSERT TONGUE, (E) SAID LATERAL FLANGES OF SAID BODY OF SAID FIRSTBRACKET EMBRACING THEREBETWEEN SAID FIRST RAFTER AND THE FLANGES OF SAIDSECOND BRACKET EMBRACING THEREBETWEEN SAID SECOND RAFTER, WITH THEEXTENSION MEMBER OF SAID FIRST BRACKET BEING IN OVERLYING ABUTMENT WITHTHE UPPER LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID RIDGE POLE WITH ITS INSERT TONGUEINSERTED BETWEEN SAID RIDGE POLE AND SAID SECOND RAFTER, AND WITH THEEXTENSION MEMBER OF SAID SECOND BRACKET BEING IN OVERLYING ABUTMENT WITHTHE EXTENSION MEMBER OF SAID FIRST BRACKET WITH ITS INSERT TONGUEINSERTED INTO THE OPENING IN SAID FIRST BRACKET AND BETWEEN SAID RIDGEPOLE AND SAID FIRST RAFTER, AND (F) MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID FLANGESAND SAID EXTENSION MEMBER TO THEIR RESPECTIVE ROOF RAFTERS AND TO SAIDRIDGE POLE.